Waterloo Ontario's The Good Years offer up a six song affair that goes far beyond their Power Pop reputation. The Good Years is primarily a much heavier listen, engagingly so. The new Rhythm Section of Jesse Alarcon (Bass) and Matty Sawyer (drums) has more than a little to do with this.
The reviews have been noting this as an EP, but at 23 minutes, it is more a mini album and approaches the 27 or 28 minutes norm of many albums. There's a great deal of variety aided by main man Kyle Taylor's vocal which isn't an obvious one for Pop Rock.
Those vocals inhabit an area somewhere between College Rock and Americana, there is a definite twang that is unusual for this type of stuff. Then there is some wonderful organ from Paul Stouffer on Make It Home and Weathered Hands that takes the band in an even different direction.
The former is anthemic, 70s Country Rock territory without ever losing that Indie feel, while the latter starts with a Procol Harum type organ riff and provides another big chorus. Upside Down is almost 80's in its big ballad feel.
The Count is more in Power Pop territory with another great organ run. more in a UK New Wave feel this time, think Steve Nieve. The title track is splendidly heavier, almost 90s era Rush in its instrumentation, wonderfully so.
The closing instrumental, Welcome To The New Year is even heavier with its driving beat. The one drawback is that there is such a variety here that casual listeners may be confused about what sort of band, Death Party Playground are. They shouldn't be, because this album is a crackerjack of a showcase that few can match.
You can listen to and buy the album here.
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